Chapter 454


    Chapter 454


    Zane


    I’d never had much chance to get to know Lanie’s best friend, but watching the two of themughing


    together was a real treat. The four of us had been a tight-knit unit and a team, but I could tell Lanie


    had longed for femalepanionship. Seeing her with her best friend made me realize how lucky I


    was that Xander was not only my Alpha, but also my best friend.


    Lanie had her arm around Ste’s shoulders as she introduced her to Mindy, who understandably


    looked boggled. Her mouth hung wide open for a few seconds before she caught herself. She


    finished chewing and swallowed, then got to her feet.


    “This is baby Ste?” Mindy asked, shaking her head and looking astounded. “I expected all the


    pups to be bigger, obviously, but this is way, way more than any doubling!”


    Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!


    Ste’s lightughter tinkled through the air. “Everyone was surprised. But it’s me. Baby Ste.”


    “All grown up,” Lanie said.


    We hadn’t told anyone in Constantine that Ste was a Celestial, but rumors about her advanced


    aging had managed to get here ahead of us. Maxim and Monroe, Xander’s most trusted High


    Guards, had been among the first he’d contacted when we were on our way back home. They’d


    been able to fill him in on some things we could expect.


    They’d told him there’d been newsing to Constantine about the destruction of the High Council,


    but that the details had been sketchy, and they were doing as much damage control as they could


    until we got back and could fill everyone in on the truth. As Mindy’s mates, they must’ve made the


    choice not to tell her much, since she was so clearly shocked.


    It was obvious that Mindy was bursting with questions, but she only nodded and got up to hug Ste


    before she sat back down at her chair. Lanie took her seat again, too.


    “Where are the twins?” Lanie asked Ste.


    “Still sleeping if you can believe it.” Steughed. “They were wiped out. But I bet they’ll be up all


    night tonight!”


    Mindy’s eyes got even wider. “The twins…baby Lanie—er, ina—and Isaac...they’re not all grown


    up, too, are they?”


    “They’re bigger than they were thest time you saw them,” Lanie assured her, “but they’re not quite


    as grown up as Ste.”


    The three women chatted while the rest of us helped ourselves to the buffet.


    “This is new,” I said to Xander as he stacked thick, savory, cheddar and jpe?o waffles on his


    te.


    He grinned. “Yeah. But I like it. Lanie, love…keep this morning buffet!”


    She rolled her eyes but did it with a smile. “I think I need to make a general announcement. I am not


    nning on changing anything! At least not until I’ve had the chance to settle in!”


    At the sound of heavy footsteps, I looked toward the doorway. I tensed automatically, and so did


    Xander and Mason. But when I saw that it was Maxim and Monroe, I put my te on the table and


    went to greet them. Xander joined me, while Mason held back a little bit.


    “By the Moon, it’s good to have you back! All of you,” Maxim said with a quick look at Mason. Maxim


    gave him a deferential nod, clearly acknowledging his Alpha role.


    Monroe grinned and pped Xander on the back, then pulled him closer. “Bring it in, bro. We


    missed the fuck out of you!”


    “d to see you seem to have held things together while we had to be away,” Xander said.


    Maxim and Monroe high-fived me, then Mason. Their joyful energy was infectious, and I could see


    Mason rxing a bit as they treated him pretty much the same as they were treating me and


    Xander.


    “It’s all going to be all right,” I thought to Mason and filtered some calming Beta energy his way.


    “They’re good guys. Xander and I trust them wholeheartedly.”


    We took seats at the table’s other end, giving our mates room to chat with each other. Xander dug


    into his te of food, while Maxim and Monroe filled theirs and then joined us.


    “When are you having the meeting?” Monroe asked around a mouthful of scrambled eggs.


    Mason shot him a look, then one at Xander, who was spreading a bagel with a thickyer of cream


    cheese. When Xander didn’t answer, Mason said, “We figured it would happen pretty quick. We


    don’t want people spending too much time worrying or wondering what happened, or what how we


    intend to move forward.”


    I could feel him almost holding his breath as he waited for Maxim and Monroe to respond. I couldn’t


    me him for being a little anxious about it. They were the trusted High Guards, and he…well, he’d


    made no secret before about his loathing for his brother. It was going to take some time for Mason


    to feel like he had the right to be here, and in charge.


    “We’ll call it for after breakfast,” Xander said casually. He didn’t emphasize the “we,” but we all


    heard it.


    Maxim and Monroe exchanged looks.


    “So…it’s true, then?” Maxim asked after a second.


    Xander wiped his mouth. “What was?”


    “About your father,” Monroe said. “We were hoping it was just another rumor.”